“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the men lost at the Upper Big Branch coal mine, the survivors and their families who face a difficult road to recovery in the years to come, and the many people in our community still struggling to cope with the enormity of the disaster,” said the statement from the group, which led the construction of a memorial site after raising $500,000 last summer.
“We offer our sincere thanks to the first responders and mine rescue teams that rushed from near and far to aid the fallen miners and to the thousands who donated to relief efforts to support the families immediately after the disaster,” the statement added.
The group also welcomed this year’s pending revisions and re-introduction of safety legislation in Washington addressing the blast’s causes following past attempts beginning in 2010; a state investigation has since determined Massey Energy and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) were directly responsible.
Citing memorial dedication speeches in July, group representatives added that: “We remind the West Virginia state delegation of their speeches and urge them to follow through on those words.”
In addition, wreaths were laid near the monument in Whitesville. Instead of a ceremony, however, the non-profit is encouraging the public to visit the memorial on their own this year to remember lives lost while reflecting in their own way. “May God bless the families of the men taken from us at Upper Big Branch and the West Virginia coal miner, our state’s greatest resource,” the group concluded. www.ubbminersmemorial.com/
